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Geographical
Facts
Location:
Oceania, continent
between the Indian Ocean and the South
Pacific Ocean
Area:
total area: 7,686,850 sq km
land area: 7,617,930
sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than the US
note: includes
Macquarie Island
Land boundaries: 0
km
Coastline: 25,760
km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental
shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the
continental margin
exclusive
economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12
nm
International
disputes: territorial claim in
Antarctica (Australian Antarctic
Territory)
Climate: generally
arid to semiarid; temperate in south and
east; tropical in north
Terrain: mostly
low plateau with deserts; fertile plain
in southeast
Natural
resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore,
copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel,
tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc,
diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and
pastures: 58%
forest and
woodland: 14%
other: 22%
Irrigated land: 18,800
sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
soil erosion from
overgrazing, industrial development,
urbanization, and poor farming practices;
soil salinity rising due to the use of
poor quality water; desertification;
clearing for agricultural purposes
threatens the natural habitat of many
unique animal and plant species; the
Great Barrier Reef off the northeast
coast, the largest coral reef in the
world, is threatened by increased
shipping and its popularity as a tourist
site; limited natural fresh water
resources
natural hazards: cyclones
along the coast; severe droughts
international
agreements:
party to -
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified -
Desertification
Note:
world's smallest continent but
sixth-largest country; population
concentrated along the eastern and
southeastern coasts; regular, tropical,
invigorating, sea breeze known as
"the Doctor" occurs along the
west coast in the summer
**********************
GOVERNMENT
Names:
Conventional long form: Commonwealth
of Australia
Conventional
short form: Australia
Digraph: AS
Type: federal
parliamentary state
Capital: Canberra
Administrative
divisions:
6 states and 2 territories*;
Australian Capital Territory*, New South
Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland,
South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria,
Western Australia
Dependent areas:
Ashmore and Cartier Islands,
Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling)
Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island
and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island
Independence: 1
January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Constitution: 9
July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Legal system: based
on English common law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18
years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952), represented by
Governor General Rev. Peter HOLLINGSWORTH
(since 29 June 2001)
Head of
government: Prime Minister John
Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996);
Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON
(since NA)
Cabinet: Cabinet
selected from among the members of
Federal Parliament by the governor
general on the advice of the prime
minister
Legislative
branch: bicameral Federal Parliament
Senate: elections
last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held
by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (76 total)
Liberal-National 36, Labor 30, Australian
Democrats 7, Greens 2, independents 1
House of
Representatives: elections last held
13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA
1996); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (147 total) Labor 80,
Liberal-National 65, independent 2
Judicial branch: High Court (the
chief justice and six other justices are
appointed by the governor general)
Political parties
and leaders:
government: Australian Labor Party,
Paul John KEATING
Opposition: Liberal
Party, John HOWARD; National Party,
Timothy FISCHER; Australian Democratic
Party, Cheryl KERNOT; Green Party, leader
NA
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Resourced from:
http://www.adc.nsw.gov.au/history.htm
http://www.photius.com/wfb2000/countries/australia/australia_geography.html
http://www.theodora.com/wfb/australia_geography.html
http://www.bartleby.com/151/16.html#Government
  
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